Don’t miss the best short animated films of the year. This category always packs a punch with short films that can be anything from adorable and sweet to dark and harrowing. Past winners include Peter & the Wolf (2007), Bao (2018), and Hair Love (2019).
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The story is about a young boy named Lubicchi and a trashman named Poupelle who meet on a…
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Sleek and smart, director Takeshi Kitano’s film examines the extreme violence of Japanese mobs and contrasts it with the reserved nature of Japanese culture in a knock out film that redefines the yakuza genre.
While a group of gangsters wait for trouble to pass in a remote beach house, the violent habits of career criminals seep through in games and amusements — until their time is up and they can’t hide from the yakuza lifestyle any longer.
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Masahiro Shinoda was a pioneer in Japanese new wave noirs, and he applies his mastery of mood and character to the yazuka genre in Pale Flower. When a gangster is released from prison, he tries to find his footing in the gambling underworld of his gang when he encounters a wealthy and beautiful thrill seeker who draws him into her web. Together and apart they enter a self-destructive spiral.
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In the yakuza genre of Japanese Cinema, Tokyo Drifter is a staple. Director Seijun Suzuki adds a 1960s pop art aesthetic to a classic tale of a badass gang enforcer trying to go straight… but his old rival has other plans for him.
One of the best Japanese films ever made, Tokyo Drifter is thrilling, stylish, and exciting. It’s got the look of a classic Bond movie, but a darker feel thanks to a seedy and dark narrative that makes it a classic yakuza film.
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Kurosawa’s Stray Dog plays like a Hollywood detective noir set in gritty post-war Tokyo.
Japanese cinema legend Toshiro Mifune gives a raw and magnetic performance as a young detective who loses his gun and tries to save face by tracking it down before reporting it stolen. His search leads him to the slums and criminal underbelly of the city, where a veteran detective helps him find it before it’s used in a violent crime.
With experimental shots and lingering scenes, this early Kurosawa hints at the master director that was to come.
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One of director Masaki Kobayashi’s greatest films, Samurai Rebellion is set in the Edo period of Japan, where…
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Ishirô Honda’s offbeat and dark sci-fi horror film was initially banned in Japan when it was released in 1963. But in time, it’s built itself up as an enduring touchstone in Japanese cinema.
Matango uses spectacular practical effects and great performances to tell a captivating story of vacationers shipwrecked on a tropical island with limited food and a population of previous shipwreckees — hideously transformed by the island’s sinister flora.
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It’s a Summer Film! is a new teen romcom out of Japan that’s simultaneously an ode to creative youth and a love letter to filmmaking in all forms.
Barefoot and her teen friends set out to make an awesome samurai film for their school film fest. They’ve got only a small tripod and an iPhone, while their snooty classmates with high tech filmmaking gear make a romcom.
With humor, heart, and an unexpected sci-fi twist, Sôshi Masumoto’s 2020 film is refreshing, sincere, and the kind of movie you’ll catch yourself smiling at in a dark theater.
Quirky and charming, Hold Me Back feels kind of like Japan’s equivalent of Amelie — perfectly blending the loneliness and hilarity of the human experience into an unforgettable energetic romantic comedy.
Mitsuko (played by Non) is 31, single, and leads a happy life with her own imaginary counselor. When a handsome salesman enters her world… love is throws a wrench in the peaceful and solitary life she’s crafted for herself.
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